(This is a post from last week that I never got to publish!! But it was a great story that I definitely wanted to share...)
For the past week or so, our team has been working on repainting the safe house. However generic it sounds, a new coat of paint really can work wonders. They haven't repainted for several years, and the walls were covered with mold, dirt, and large insects (I have seen more than my fair share of spiders and cockroaches!) Cleaning the walls and painting over them with white primer felt like a cleansing experience. We let the women who live at the safe house choose the colors for the rooms. They really like bright colors, clearly, as the rooms we have completed are vibrant hues of red, blue, and purple. Although we have been pulling long days and the work is tiring, there have been so many moments that make everything feel worth it. On Friday afternoon, we were still at the shelter painting when the children came home from school. Seeing their reactions as they walked into their bright new bedrooms, excitedly pointing out which beds belonged to each of them (several sharing with brothers and sisters), made all of the tiredness we felt fade away.
Seeing the change in the women since we've been working is also remarkable. At first, very few of them showed much interest in participating--although a few helped for an hour or two, they quickly tired and went into the other room to rest. But as they began to see the changes as each room was painted, they began to show more initiative. Soon, they were painting faster than we were! On Tuesday, we had a meeting with our project advisors and some Sizakuyenza staff. We were planning to begin painting as soon as the meeting was over, but the women asked if they could begin while we were gone. We filled their paint trays and gave them a few rollers, and were shocked when we returned to find out that they had finished the entire room we were planning to paint!
The hard work is a lot of fun, too! Aside from simply getting to know the women as we work alongside them, music helps to keep things fun. There have been several impromptu dance parties in the hallway as we move from room to room! Yesterday morning, we were painting with several women. The radio was not playing, but some of the women were singing or humming to themselves as they worked. Th---- began to sing a little louder, and some of the other women sang along. I continued to paint, smiling to myself as I realized that I recognized the tune:
"Oh Lord my God, when I in awesome wonder, consider all the works Thy hands have made..."
I started singing quietly along with the women as they sang. Vuiyo told Themba to be quiet as she realized that I was singing. I told them how I knew the song, and we continued to sing together. Th----, being one of the more outgoing women, sang loudly
"then sings my soul, my Savior God to Thee,
How praise the Lord..."
V---- corrected her loudly: "That's not it! It's How Great Thou Art!" and then proceeded to tell me that I must write out the proper English lyrics for them. I didn't want to correct her though, because it was so happy to be half a world away from home singing the same song and praising the same God that I do in the US.
There are so many ways that I see God here--in the landscape, in the children, in the singing, in the strength and beauty of the women we work with. Sometimes, all I can do is look up and think to myself, "how praise the Lord." :)
Nov 20, 2014
Nov 5, 2014
K----
Pictures are up!!! Sorry it's taken so long, I'll try to continue to update them as often as I can!
As I was saying the other day, there have been times here where I had moments of clarity. It is so easy to miss the forest for the trees in this project--we are constantly, intensely focused on one facet of our project or another. There are papers to write, designs to make, presentations and interviews to conduct, and work to be done. However, there are times when the motivation behind the project manifests itself, and I am reminded of what brought me here in the first place. One of these moments happened last Friday. After work, here is what I journaled:
As I was saying the other day, there have been times here where I had moments of clarity. It is so easy to miss the forest for the trees in this project--we are constantly, intensely focused on one facet of our project or another. There are papers to write, designs to make, presentations and interviews to conduct, and work to be done. However, there are times when the motivation behind the project manifests itself, and I am reminded of what brought me here in the first place. One of these moments happened last Friday. After work, here is what I journaled:
I spent today alternating between working and playing with
K----, a two-year old boy with the brightest smile I have ever seen. He was shy
the first few times we saw him, but spent today soaking up our attention as he
ran from person to person, full of hugs and smiles. His mom, T-----, was one of
the first women to sit with us and make us feel like a part of the Sizakuyenza
family. In her I see everything that the safe house is trying to do for the
women who come there—she is a loving mom, a hard worker, and a poised and
eloquent woman. She also has a stunning voice—she amazed us when she sang on
one of our first days at the safe house, and I found myself crying as I
listened to her sing a farewell to us today.
I think all along the way, we knew that there would be women
coming and going from the safe house during our short time there. In fact, we
are entirely purposed on empowering these women during their stay so that they
can go on, to family and new jobs and a chance to live life knowing how much
they are valued. But although we have only been working at Sizakuyenza for a
little over a week, I feel a deep care for each of the women and children we
have met. I think that is what makes it so hard to say goodbye.
Each woman that comes to the safe house has a story. I wish
that I could have the opportunity to know more of T----’s. What were the
circumstances that brought her to the safe house? How has she changed since
coming? Where will she go? What bright future does she have in store? Will we
ever see her again? All these questions ran through my mind as she sang, but
the lyrics of the song she had chosen floated above them all…
“Shining like a star across my sky, just like an angel off a
page
You have appeared into my life, I feel like I’ll never be
the same…”
T----- has a story that probably includes more strength,
resilience, and hope than I will ever have. We have only had the opportunity to
be a part of that story for a little over a week. It would be false and
pretentious of me to say that our short time of knowing T-----and her
beautiful children has had much to do with their recovery at Sizakuyenza. But
her song reminded me of the change that we are actually making in people’s
lives, even just in a small way. Just listening to her sing, I can see that she
is stronger than I ever could be, and K----- is so full of joy you would never
think he has experienced abuse or trauma. I can only hope that T---- and her
sons can continue to grow and thrive despite what they have been through, as a
result of the help they have been given at Sizakuyenza.
At times the work that we are doing feels small. A string of
writing assignments, group meetings and yard work don’t seem like they could
have that much of an impact. But seeing a woman and her children ready to leave
the safe house today, having been equipped with the support they needed to
recover from such traumatic experiences, I was reminded of the significance of
the work that the safe house does. And this makes me feel so honored to have
the opportunity to be working with them, and to have known T----- and K----- even for the short time that we did.
Since Friday, I have been thinking a lot about T----- and K-----. Where are they now? Does K----- still have that happy smile on his face? I know that I will probably never see them again. But I am so thankful to have had a short time with this incredibly joyful little boy and his beautiful mom. They have reminded me exactly why I'm in Cape Town.
Nov 3, 2014
Sizakuyenza (and so much else!)
This is going to be kind of a combination of a lot of posts, since I have not been able to write this past week! We are settling into our schedules of working and exploring. I can't believe how much there is to catch up on.
Last weekend, we got tickets to the Currie Cup Final, basically the Super Bowl of rugby games. Although football (soccer for Americans) is probably the most popular sport here, rugby is a pretty big deal. Now, I have a hard enough time trying to understand and follow American sports that I see all the time, but rugby was one of the most confusing yet exciting things I have ever watched. Fortunately, a few of the other WPI students are also rugby players, so they could explain what was going on. A quick synopsis of the game: it was between Western Province (Cape Town) and Johannesburg, which is a pretty big rivalry. Cape Town got a lot of points in the beginning, but Johannesburg made a huge comeback and it literally came down to a few points in the last 5 seconds of the game where if Jo'burg made a "field goal" (I forget the rugby word) they would win but if they missed WP would win. They missed. Everyone went crazy. My favorite part of the game though, by far, was listening to the whole stadium sing along to their national anthem. It felt like such a privilege to be a part of this game, this city, and this country, even just for a small amount of time. That was definitely one of the best outings we've had so far.
This past weekend, we got the chance to go to Boulder Beach, the Cape of Good Hope, and Table Mountain (all in 2 days!). I took more pictures than I know what to do with, and unfortunately the internet at the Lodge is too unstable for uploading but as soon as I can I will be sharing them with you all! These were some of the most beautiful places I have ever been to in my life. Boulder Beach in many ways looks like a tropical oasis, with white sands and azure water. However, what makes it famous is that it is home to hundreds, if not thousands, of penguins. Needless to say, they were adorable. Not far from Boulder Beach was the Cape of Good Hope, the southernmost point in Africa (and about as close as you can get to Antarctica). It was one of the most beautiful and scary places I have ever been! First of all, the wind was stronger than anything I have ever experienced. As we explored and hiked the trails along the ocean to Cape Point, the wind would literally push us sideways at times. But scarier than the wind were the wild baboons that wandered the area, as commonplace as squirrels at home. They have been known to be aggressive at times, stealing food from people's hands or even cameras (mistaking them for something edible). At one point, we had baboons on all sides of us on the narrow trail; we tried hard to keep still and let them go by us without provoking them to get mad, as several were mothers with babies clinging to them as they wandered the trail and bushes around us. It was one of the scariest things of my life!
Table Mountain was another incredible experience. Honestly, there are no words to describe how beautiful it is here. We encouraged each other as we spent 2 hours climbing the Platteklip Gorge to the summit, where you can see the whole city on one side, and on another just ocean all the way to the horizon. We were able to stay for the sunset as well, which was breathtaking. My description of these trips are pretty brief, but only because I know that no words I put together will accurately describe how beautiful it is here. The juxtaposition of the beauty with the poverty sometimes is jarring, but being here for less than 2 weeks I am truly in awe of how incredible God's creation can be.
We're also settling into our projects, going to our sites 4 days a week. It is exciting to see the projects develop after researching and planning for so long!
Sizakuyenza is the organization we are working under, which works in many different facets of the community. They are doing everything from HIV/TB testing and counseling, to drug rehabilitation, to job training, to youth and children's after-school programs, to domestic violence protection at the safe house where we work. I love this organization and the lovely people who work there. It is such a demonstration of hope, of light in a dark place. Our first day on the job, they took us to meet many workers in the different facets of the organization--one of the first ones was the HIV/TB testing tents they set up along the highway. Philippi, which is the city where we work, is like the business center to several informal settlements in the surrounding area. Seeing these tents set up, with a man holding a megaphone shouting that people could get free HIV tests at their makeshift clinics, was such an encouragement to me. No matter how insurmountable the problems that Cape Town settlements seem to be facing, Sizakuyenza will do what it can to help.
The name Sizakuyenza, in its original language, means "we will do it despite what you say." This truly is the essence of their work in so many areas. How many people say that work in communities like this is pointless? The statistics are too overwhelming, the conditions are too dangerous, the situation is too bleak. But the people at Sizakuyenza want to see one less person with HIV who goes untreated. They want to have one less little girl being trafficked. They want one less teenager without something productive to do to turn to violence or gangs. They want one less woman who is abused by her husband to feel like she is alone. And they will fight for it, despite anyone who says it isn't worth their time.
So far, we have been connecting with the staff and residents at the safe house and beginning work and planning on the many projects we are hoping to accomplish during our time here. At some points, the work we are doing seems menial--a lot of talking about ideas, yard work, and writing so far. But then there are moments where I look back and see that the work we are doing, however indirectly, is making a huge impact and I am simply humbled to be a part of it.
I hate to purposefully leave you in suspense, but I have to get some sleep before going to the site tomorrow! There is honestly so much that I have seen and done in the last couple weeks that I could write for hours, but I will have to save some for later :)
Til later,
Sam
Last weekend, we got tickets to the Currie Cup Final, basically the Super Bowl of rugby games. Although football (soccer for Americans) is probably the most popular sport here, rugby is a pretty big deal. Now, I have a hard enough time trying to understand and follow American sports that I see all the time, but rugby was one of the most confusing yet exciting things I have ever watched. Fortunately, a few of the other WPI students are also rugby players, so they could explain what was going on. A quick synopsis of the game: it was between Western Province (Cape Town) and Johannesburg, which is a pretty big rivalry. Cape Town got a lot of points in the beginning, but Johannesburg made a huge comeback and it literally came down to a few points in the last 5 seconds of the game where if Jo'burg made a "field goal" (I forget the rugby word) they would win but if they missed WP would win. They missed. Everyone went crazy. My favorite part of the game though, by far, was listening to the whole stadium sing along to their national anthem. It felt like such a privilege to be a part of this game, this city, and this country, even just for a small amount of time. That was definitely one of the best outings we've had so far.
This past weekend, we got the chance to go to Boulder Beach, the Cape of Good Hope, and Table Mountain (all in 2 days!). I took more pictures than I know what to do with, and unfortunately the internet at the Lodge is too unstable for uploading but as soon as I can I will be sharing them with you all! These were some of the most beautiful places I have ever been to in my life. Boulder Beach in many ways looks like a tropical oasis, with white sands and azure water. However, what makes it famous is that it is home to hundreds, if not thousands, of penguins. Needless to say, they were adorable. Not far from Boulder Beach was the Cape of Good Hope, the southernmost point in Africa (and about as close as you can get to Antarctica). It was one of the most beautiful and scary places I have ever been! First of all, the wind was stronger than anything I have ever experienced. As we explored and hiked the trails along the ocean to Cape Point, the wind would literally push us sideways at times. But scarier than the wind were the wild baboons that wandered the area, as commonplace as squirrels at home. They have been known to be aggressive at times, stealing food from people's hands or even cameras (mistaking them for something edible). At one point, we had baboons on all sides of us on the narrow trail; we tried hard to keep still and let them go by us without provoking them to get mad, as several were mothers with babies clinging to them as they wandered the trail and bushes around us. It was one of the scariest things of my life!
Table Mountain was another incredible experience. Honestly, there are no words to describe how beautiful it is here. We encouraged each other as we spent 2 hours climbing the Platteklip Gorge to the summit, where you can see the whole city on one side, and on another just ocean all the way to the horizon. We were able to stay for the sunset as well, which was breathtaking. My description of these trips are pretty brief, but only because I know that no words I put together will accurately describe how beautiful it is here. The juxtaposition of the beauty with the poverty sometimes is jarring, but being here for less than 2 weeks I am truly in awe of how incredible God's creation can be.
We're also settling into our projects, going to our sites 4 days a week. It is exciting to see the projects develop after researching and planning for so long!
Sizakuyenza is the organization we are working under, which works in many different facets of the community. They are doing everything from HIV/TB testing and counseling, to drug rehabilitation, to job training, to youth and children's after-school programs, to domestic violence protection at the safe house where we work. I love this organization and the lovely people who work there. It is such a demonstration of hope, of light in a dark place. Our first day on the job, they took us to meet many workers in the different facets of the organization--one of the first ones was the HIV/TB testing tents they set up along the highway. Philippi, which is the city where we work, is like the business center to several informal settlements in the surrounding area. Seeing these tents set up, with a man holding a megaphone shouting that people could get free HIV tests at their makeshift clinics, was such an encouragement to me. No matter how insurmountable the problems that Cape Town settlements seem to be facing, Sizakuyenza will do what it can to help.
The name Sizakuyenza, in its original language, means "we will do it despite what you say." This truly is the essence of their work in so many areas. How many people say that work in communities like this is pointless? The statistics are too overwhelming, the conditions are too dangerous, the situation is too bleak. But the people at Sizakuyenza want to see one less person with HIV who goes untreated. They want to have one less little girl being trafficked. They want one less teenager without something productive to do to turn to violence or gangs. They want one less woman who is abused by her husband to feel like she is alone. And they will fight for it, despite anyone who says it isn't worth their time.
So far, we have been connecting with the staff and residents at the safe house and beginning work and planning on the many projects we are hoping to accomplish during our time here. At some points, the work we are doing seems menial--a lot of talking about ideas, yard work, and writing so far. But then there are moments where I look back and see that the work we are doing, however indirectly, is making a huge impact and I am simply humbled to be a part of it.
I hate to purposefully leave you in suspense, but I have to get some sleep before going to the site tomorrow! There is honestly so much that I have seen and done in the last couple weeks that I could write for hours, but I will have to save some for later :)
Til later,
Sam
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